The Importance of Chanting

The Srimad Bhagavatam predicted the coming of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:

krsna varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra parsadam
yajnaih samkirtana prayair
yajanti hi sumedhasah

“The Lord will incarnate in Kaliyuga [present age] chanting His own names. His bodily complexion will be like that of molten gold. He will appear with His associates, servants, and representatives. In this incarnation the Lord will always be chanting the names of Krsna and will preach that in this age chanting the holy names is the only method of sacrifice for liberation. Those with purified intelligence will worship the Lord through chanting His holy names.”

[Srimad Bhagavatam, written about 5,000 years ago]

About five hundred years ago Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. He chanted the Mahamantra aloud and told everyone to do the same. If someone desires to quickly receive the Lord’s blessings they must chant the Mahamantra daily. Chanting the Lord’s names is the greatest wealth of life.

Hearing and chanting the holy name of the Lord are the first two steps down the path of Bhakti-yoga. These seem like simple enough steps, steps anyone could take. But only those who are very fortunate will take to Bhakti-yoga because, unless one is fortunate, even the greatest thing will not be recognized by them. By hearing and chanting thus, under the guidance of a perfect Guru, all doubt about God is removed and attachment to His lotus feet becomes intense. One then becomes ecstatically immersed in thinking about the different pastimes of the Lord.

Keeping the mind from pondering worldly things and engaging it in the chanting of His holy name are both considered forms of meditation. When the same thing is done without intense endeavor, then it is called rememberance. When one engages in chanting, thinking about, meditating on, or remembering the Lord, the result will come as surely as the sunrise. On this subject, one may wonder what happens if a reward fails to manifest and the performer had desired and sought that reward. The answer is; in Bhakti-yoga, the name, the form, pastimes or anything that is connected to the Lord, are all auspicious. Therefore, there is no chance for one to fail on this path.

Chant the Mahamantra, the Holy Names of the Lord:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

[Sri Krsna Balaram Swamiji, KBS5139]